Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 180. The Imperial Tombs of the Former Dynasty

180. The Imperial Mausoleum of the Former Dynasty

Since waking from her unconscious state, this was the first time Ye Li had felt such a headache. The former dynasty had been destroyed over two hundred years ago. For at least the past few decades, there had been no news of any remnants plotting to revive it. Yet... who could truly fathom the depths of national and familial hatreds? Although the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion did not currently rule the land, the first Prince Ding, Mo Lanyun, had fought at least half the battles that led to the former dynasty’s demise. Therefore, Ye Li couldn’t be sure whether these remnants harbored more hatred for the Emperor of Great Chu or for Prince Ding. Now, she had clearly ended up in a gathering place for such remnants. What brought some consolation was that, apart from a few highly respected elders, the villagers living here seemed oblivious to the change of dynasties. They also showed no interest in who was emperor.

Watching her stroke her chin, her expression constantly changing, Doctor Lin refrained from saying more, understanding that this was not something an ordinary person could easily accept.

"Master... are you trying to restore the dynasty?" After a long moment, Ye Li finally managed to sort through her chaotic thoughts and asked, seemingly nonchalantly.

"Restore the dynasty?" Doctor Lin looked at her with a peculiar expression, as if he had swallowed something disagreeable. After a pause, he snorted and said, "Have you ever seen people hiding in these deep mountains for decades plotting to restore a dynasty? Besides... I’m a doctor. With what would I restore a dynasty? By poisoning Mo Liufang and Mo Jingxuan to death?" Ye Li took a sip of the light tea and calmly replied, "It’s Mo Jingqi and Mo Xiuyao. Mo Liufang and Mo Jingxuan have been dead for many years." Doctor Lin glared at her fiercely, then frowned with a puzzled expression and asked, "The current Prince Ding is called Mo Xiuyao? I remember Mo Liufang’s son, who had just been born then, was named Mo Xiuwen..." This time, Ye Li truly believed Doctor Lin hadn’t left this place for decades. She earnestly explained, "Mo Xiuwen was the previous Prince Ding; he passed away nine years ago." Doctor Lin looked at her and said, "You seem to know quite a lot, girl."

Ye Li smiled. "Didn’t Master say I come from a distinguished family? How could I possibly be unaware of such major events?"

Doctor Lin waved his hand dismissively, a hint of exasperation in his voice as he said, "National and familial hatreds... it’s been over two hundred years. Who can say anything for certain about those events? Moreover, even if the common people today are dissatisfied with the Great Chu imperial family, would they truly yearn for the return of the former dynasty?" If that were the case, the former dynasty wouldn’t have fallen. The later emperors of that dynasty were inept and incompetent, leading to a life of misery for the common folk. Even though the last emperor intended to institute reforms, he himself lacked the talent of an emperor. He was ultimately unable to change the course of events, witnessing his country and family descend into ruin. Truth be told, one couldn’t entirely blame the Great Ancestor Emperor of Great Chu for that. Simply put, it was merely a case of ’the victor becomes king, the loser a bandit.’

"What is it that Lin Yuan wants? Why is Master so adamant about not giving it to him? Since Master no longer cares about restoring the dynasty or matters of the outside world, why..."

Doctor Lin sighed. Looking at her, he gave a faint, bitter smile. "It’s not that I refuse to give it to him, but rather... I have nothing to give him. What he wants... is the treasure in the Imperial Mausoleum of the Great Founding Emperor of the former dynasty."

Ye Li furrowed her brow. It was perfectly natural for an imperial mausoleum to contain treasures, so Ye Li didn’t understand what Doctor Lin meant when he said he had nothing. Doctor Lin calmly continued, "The Imperial Mausoleum of the Great Founding Emperor is indeed here. The people in this village are descendants of the most loyal guards who followed the Great Founding Emperor. After the Great Founding Emperor passed away, these people vowed to guard the imperial mausoleum for all generations. To prevent future descendants from acting disrespectfully, they established several rules: their descendants were forbidden to learn to read; no villager was to set foot in the vicinity of the imperial mausoleum; and no one was to leave the village and venture beyond the mountains. Furthermore, the secrets of the imperial mausoleum were passed down only from one village chief to the next; even the villagers themselves did not know their own origins."

Ye Li didn’t know how to comment on this, so she chose to remain silent. Looking up, she asked, "What are Master’s plans now? If Lin Yuan discovers that his subordinates haven’t brought the item back, will he return in person?"

Doctor Lin nodded. After a moment’s thought, he asked Ye Li, "Is... the world currently unstable?" He reasoned that if Great Chu were peaceful and its people content, with no hope of restoring the former dynasty, Lin Yuan would never have turned his attention to the imperial mausoleum.

Ye Li didn’t hide anything, nodding as she said, "It is indeed a bit chaotic. If nothing unexpected happens... it’s highly likely the Mo Family Army and the Great Chu imperial family will break with each other..."

"Break with each other..." Doctor Lin seemed somewhat wistful. He said leisurely, "It was once said how deep the bond was between the Great Ancestor Emperor of Great Chu and the founding Prince Ding, how magnificent they were when they joined forces to contend for the world. It’s unexpected that these two families have also reached the point of breaking ties. No wonder... no wonder... Well, these are matters an old man like me can’t meddle in. Girl, pack your things. We should leave this place as soon as possible." Ye Li was momentarily stunned. "Leave? What about the villagers here?" Doctor Lin snorted. "I will, of course, leave a message telling him it’s best not to harm these people." Ye Li arched an eyebrow. "Will he listen to you?" Doctor Lin sneered, "If he doesn’t listen, I’ll give the ’thing’ to Mo Xiuyao..." Ye Li became silent, a sense of admiration for this unconventional master welling up within her. You don’t even know if there are treasures in the tomb, or what kind they might be, yet you dare to drag Mo Xiuyao into this? Do you want Mo Xiuyao to die, or Lin Yuan?

"Master, perhaps choose someone else? How about Lei Zhenting, the Southern Garrison Prince of Xiling?" Ye Li sincerely advised. Seeing that Doctor Lin still seemed to harbor some lingering sentiment for Lin Yuan, Ye Li was reluctant for him to be pitted against Mo Xiuyao, lest it damage their master-disciple relationship in the future. Doctor Lin squinted at her, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Girl, what is your relationship with Mo Xiuyao? I seem to recall those two fellows mentioning that Mo Xiuyao is also near Hongzhou right now. Such a coincidence that you..."

Ye Li smiled faintly. "Master, who I am isn’t important right now, don’t you think? You just need to know that your disciple would never do anything to harm you."

Doctor Lin scrutinized her for a long moment. Ye Li remained still, calmly seated, allowing him to study her. After a good while, Doctor Lin finally grunted softly and nodded, effectively dropping the subject.

Leaving such an isolated mountain village wasn’t a simple matter of just walking out, especially when the travelers were an elderly man in his sixties with no martial arts skills and a woman in the advanced stages of pregnancy. To make matters worse, the path they had to take led through an imperial mausoleum that, according to legend, no one had ever traversed before. Considering their party consisted of an elderly man and a pregnant woman, they could hardly dream of traversing the massive, dangerous mountain range—a feat challenging even for an average adult man. Furthermore, it was highly probable they would encounter Lin Yuan or his men on any other route. Therefore, the rumored passage within the imperial mausoleum leading to the outside world became their only hope.

Ye Li couldn’t help but recall some of the tomb-raiding novels she had read in her previous life. She hoped this imperial mausoleum wasn’t as dangerous and eerie as those depicted in the novels she had read in her previous life. If she had a choice, she would prefer to wait for the baby to be born and then leave via a safe route. However, her identity was currently unknown. Once that man named Lin Yuan appeared, things would undoubtedly change. If he indeed harbored such grand, perhaps even royal, ambitions, he would undoubtedly guess that she was Mo Xiuyao’s wife, the Madam of House of the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion. That would lead to significant trouble.

「Several days later,」

Doctor Lin finally finished packing all his belongings, including his books, many of which could be considered ancient texts and rare editions. Ye Li had also used this time to prepare some necessary items. Then, one morning, while all the villagers were still asleep, she and Doctor Lin were escorted into the mountains by the village chief, already in his seventies. Just as Ye Li had previously scouted, their destination lay beneath the waterfall. The village chief led the two of them behind the waterfall, revealing a large cavern concealed within. Ye Li was prepared, having donned a bamboo hat, and now shook the water from it. Both the village chief and Doctor Lin had looked at her with some surprise when she had taken out the bamboo hat and put it on. Ye Li smiled sweetly and said, "Isn’t this for the baby? Just in case..." Doctor Lin gave her a meaningful look but said nothing more. The white-haired village chief also glanced at them and remained silent. Clearly, Doctor Lin had already discussed matters with him. The village chief then led the two of them deeper into the cavern.

The cavern was both large and deep, clearly a natural formation. Various stalactites hung from the ceiling, water droplets occasionally dripping from their tips. Through the middle flowed an artificial river with a swift current. Not only was the river channel neatly and beautifully constructed, but the paths on either side were also meticulously carved from stone blocks. Although covered in moss from long years of disuse, a closer look still revealed exquisite patterns on the stone foundations. It’s said that every emperor starts building his mausoleum upon ascending the throne. If they were all on the scale of this Great Founding Emperor’s, they’d indeed have to start right away. Even places that have nothing to do with the mausoleum proper are built like this. If they didn’t start early, the emperor might die before there was a place to bury him!

The three of them continued along the cavern. After almost an hour, they finally stopped, having reached what appeared to be the end. They could only see the rushing river water emerging from beneath the stone wall. Ye Li could only hope this didn’t mean they had to dive underwater.

The village chief slowly ran his hands over the stone wall, which was covered in moss and various wild plants, searching. After a good while, he seemed to find a specific spot. He then took out an oddly shaped key from his robes and pressed it against the stone wall, turning it. A moment later, with a RUMBLE, the stone face of the wall split open to reveal a doorway. The village chief looked at the two of them and said, "You may enter. Be careful."

Doctor Lin nodded. "You..."

The village chief raised a hand to stop him, nodding. "I know. We have guarded this place for hundreds of years, and no one has ever entered. After all these years... we don’t wish to know what’s truly inside. Since the Great Ancestor Emperor did not leave the contents to his descendants back then, we do not wish to change things now. I am old. I only hope that from now on, this village can be just an ordinary village, no longer needing to guard anything. This secret ends with me. I thank you for not revealing this secret to the Young Master all these years... After you go in, this key will also be useless. Take it with you."

Doctor Lin nodded. "Take care." Taking the key the village chief handed him, Doctor Lin led Ye Li inside. The stone wall slowly closed again before them.

As the stone wall closed, they were plunged into darkness. Doctor Lin lit a fire starter and touched it to an oil lamp on the stone wall. Soon, the light from the lamp on the stone wall shone on a bronze mirror on the opposite side, then the light refracted to another bronze mirror. In an instant, the originally dark passage was brightly illuminated. Ye Li raised an eyebrow but said nothing, following Doctor Lin forward.

The passage was silent, save for the sound of their two sets of footsteps. As she walked, Ye Li observed the walls on either side. She had to admit, this Great Founding Emperor of the former dynasty was indeed fabulously wealthy. As the Princess Consort of Ding, Ye Li had attended one or two imperial mausoleum sacrificial rites. She had even been to the late emperor’s burial chamber, albeit only the outermost parts. But it was definitely not on this scale, where even such an outermost, inconspicuous passage was exquisitely carved from marble. The dragon-shaped reliefs on the walls and floor were lifelike, each dragon’s eyes inlaid with various gemstones. The opulence and dominance of an emperor and the imperial family assaulted the senses. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

The two of them proceeded along the passage. Surprisingly, they didn’t encounter any of the legendary traps or mechanisms. In this sunless imperial mausoleum, Ye Li could only roughly estimate the direction and distance they were traveling.

About an hour later, they finally arrived at an antechamber. As the oil lamps in the chamber were lit, the room was instantly filled with fragrance. Ye Li vigilantly stepped back a few paces, away from the oil lamps. However, she quickly realized the fragrance was not poison but ambergris. Although not poisonous, it was still not good for pregnant women, so Ye Li still tried to stay as far away from it as possible. Doctor Lin looked down at the tattered map in his hand while surveying the empty room. "Let’s rest for a bit. You must be tired..."

Looking at the map in his hands, Ye Li asked curiously, "Since the village chief doesn’t want the treasures in the imperial mausoleum to see the light of day again, isn’t he afraid that we’ll come back and take things out after we leave?" Doctor Lin glanced back at her and said calmly, "It is said... that the entrance we used can’t be opened without the key. And the exit we’re heading for... can only be opened once, and only for a quarter of an hour each time." Ye Li couldn’t help but break into a slight sweat. "Master, are you sure that exit hasn’t been opened by someone else already?" The address ’Master’ clearly pleased the old man; his expression relaxed considerably. He said, "And what if it has been?" Ye Li smiled wryly. "Then I can only accompany Master in life and death. It’s just a pity for my baby..." A rare smile touched Doctor Lin’s lips. "This little one has great fortune. Having been with you for so long and still being fine, nothing will happen."

"May it be as Master says," Ye Li said with a smile. Her mood lightened somewhat, and Ye Li asked, quite puzzled, "What exactly did the founding emperor of the former dynasty leave in the imperial mausoleum? And why is the village chief so unwilling for Lin Yuan to obtain it?" Doctor Lin said calmly, "I don’t know. But the Great Founding Emperor did instruct the mausoleum guards not to let the treasures within be circulated. As for the village chief... they just want to live properly." Ye Li raised an eyebrow. Doctor Lin said, "Lin Yuan grew up in the village; the village chief naturally knows his temperament. If he doesn’t get his hands on the ’thing’, it might be fine. But if he does obtain it, not a single person in this village will live."

Ye Li was perplexed, but Doctor Lin waved his hand, indicating he had no intention of saying more.

Ye Li found a place to sit down, gently stroking her abdomen to soothe the baby. Then she lowered her head to study the carvings on the stone wall. The empty stone chamber was quiet, with only the occasional sound of Ye Li’s fingers lightly tapping the stone wall.